Oread
Oread, who refer to themselves as the “Stonesouled”, are the descendants of humans and creatures of the elemental earth. They are every bit as sturdy and stubborn as this implies. Abandoned by their elemental ancestors, they live among normal human beings, never forgetting their unique connection to the most fundamental of the four elements. Though ponderous and slow to act, they can be as terrible as the quaking ground when brought to anger. 'Physical Description' Resembling solidly built humans, Oreads are commonly mistaken for overly-tall dwarves. Some have rough skin that resembles a handful of dirt and rock, while others have skin as smooth as marble or granite with a metallic sheen to it. Their eyes may be like gemstones, or bottomless black pits. Oreads have a naturally thick frame and strong muscles, though their short frame and skin color often causes them to blend into their surroundings. 'Society' Oreads are a subspecies of humanity, and thus lack a culture and society of their own. Rather, they fit in as members of the human society in which they grew up. Oreads are slow and meticulous by nature. Never rushed when an important decision must be made, they try to consider any problem from all angles and carefully weigh the possible consequences of their actions. Oreads tend to be quiet individuals willing to listen thoroughly to those around them, though always with the certainty that their way is the right way. Though patient, they are often closed-minded to new ideas, seeing change as a waste of energy when they are content with the status quo. Slow to anger, and even slower to forget a slight, Oreads make reliable friends and lasting enemies. 'Relations' Though just as arrogant as other planetouched, Oreads are patient and quiet, masking their contempt for other races. Many are sedentary and like to stay near the place of their birth, while others are always moving, seeking out precious treasures of the earth in the form of gems or precious metals. Often as not, Oreads are solitary individuals and few have the inclination to wait around on them, which is just as well for the Oreads as they don’t like being bothered to move at an unreasonable pace. Still, they are loyal to their companions to the end, and are not ones to let small qualms or differences get between them and their friends. They are also regarded as the finest smiths, many rivaling or even surpassing dwarves in their ability to craft stone and metal. 'Alignment and Religion' Oreads seek a balance in their actions, and thus tend to be neutral, though they have a predisposition towards the thorough, linear nature of law. They have little capacity to understand, much less embrace, the ever-changing freedom of chaos, and are normally apathetic to moral dilemmas that do not concern them. 'Oreads in the Young Kingdoms' :For a list of known Oread individuals, please see Notable Oread Characters An Oreads feels at home wherever his feet touch the ground. Their elemental ancestors have no interest in flesh creatures, so they mostly live among their human kin. As a race, they have no lands of their own, but often can be found deep within mountains and canyons of the far north. 'Oread Racial Traits' * +2 Strength, +2 Wisdom, -2 Charisma: Oreads are strong, solid, stable, and stoic. * Darkvision: Oreads can see in the dark up to 60 feet. * Spell-Like Ability: Magic Stone once per day. The caster level equals the Oread’s total Hit Dice. * Elemental Resistance: Oreads have Acid Resistance 5. * Elemental Affinity: Oread sorcerers with the Elemental (Earth) Bloodline treat their Charisma score as 2 points higher for all sorcerer spells and class abilities. Oread clerics with the Earth Domain cast their domain powers and spells at +1 caster level. * Languages: Oreads begin play speaking Auld Taoric and Terran. Oreads with a high Intelligence score can choose an additional number of languages equal to their Intelligence modifier. Category:Races Category:Player Character Races Category:Planetouched Category:Humanoids Category:Genasi Category:Encyclopedia O to P Category:Monsters O to P